2011 Coretta Scott King Book awards: a look at the winners

The Coretta Scott King Book Awardsrecognize African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults. The following titles are aptly crafted to shed light on real issues even as they engage young literary minds.

1.
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia (ages 9-12, Amistad, 224 pp.) is the 2011 King Author Book winner. This engaging novel tells the story of three sisters who relocate to Oakland, Calif., where they find their less-than-enthusiastic mother and an atmosphere of complicated race relations. The lovable protagonists – mature beyond their years – use the summer to make sense of their troubled family and times. (CSMonitor review of "One Crazy Summer," 5/15/10)